LFW: BORA AKSU S/S 2014

Here it is the first day of London Fashion Week and to no one’s real surprise it’s raining. Heaven forbid London’s weather actually be as cheery and inviting as its people are during this event. The British Fashion Council has new exhibit space from which many of the shows will take place, and they were quite thrilled to show it off this morning.

London is the shortest of the four major fashion weeks, encompassing only five days rather than seven or eight. The volume is not as heavy, but the level of talent is world class and exciting, even if you’re not familiar with all the names.

Such is the case with the first show of the week, Bora Aksu. Chances are the majority of my friends in the Midwest have never heard of the brand, and with good reason: you can’t buy it in the United States. Nowhere in North America, for that matter. While the brand is quite popular in the UK, Japan, and the Middle East, he has yet to venture into the vicious fashion market here, which is a bit of a shame, actually.

The Turkish-born designer was influenced for this season by bright summer days with blue skies and little white wisps of clouds and he definitely brought that aesthetic to the runway. Starting with an array of white dresses with sheer panels and rounded, padded shoulders, the collection just feels happier, which is in stark contrast to how we left New York. One of Aksu’s nicer touches is scalloped lace hems on several pieces, which feels very dainty and seasonal.

The color palette gently shifts to a soft blue and there’s almost a school marm feel to a couple of the looks. Sheer elements and tasseled fringe keep the ensembles from looking out of touch. There are three pieces in a bright salmon pink before he gives us daisies with a yellow so bright that it needs the element of white lace over it to prevent eye damage.

If you travel, and I know many of Pattern’s readers do, Bora Aksu is a brand worth seeking out. Who knows, if enough people buy his clothes, maybe we can convince him to bring his warm and gentle spirit to the Midwest.